Customer Reviews

Pioneer HTS-GS1 5.1-Channel Surround Sound System for the Xbox 360

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I shopped and priced around extensively, and the Pioneer HTIB system was the clear choice to add on to my Xbox 360. First, and foremost, this is a well designed "compact" home theater system that goes very well with a 360. It's color scheme blends right in with the Microsoft game sytem. Pioneer got all the details right, even down to the XBOX-like "univeral" remote control.

The nearest competitor to Pioneer's HTS-GS1 is the Spherex 51000 HTIB 5.1 Channel surround system, also license by Microsoft specifically for the Xbox 360. In a head to head comparison, to me, the Pioneer integrates best, mainly because it "looks" like it belongs with the Xbox and also has more user friendly system controls and by far is more flexible to set up whether used with the Xbox or not. I cannot comment on differences in terms of purely audio performance, but the Spherex is only rated for 300 watts total output. The latter may not be a fair comparison - read on for more on this.

These two systems are currently selling in retail stores close to the same price point (around $200). Since there introduction, both have been deeply discounted from original list price of $499. Overall, I feel the HTS-GS1 offers the most bang for the buck.

The surround speakers are uniquely and cleverly designed. The front and rear speaker are actually "stackable" which allows a front surround stage 5 channel sound speaker placement arrangement. This stacking feature is not possible on Spherex system with its omni surround satellite speakers which must have free air space above each speaker to work properly.

Front speaker stacking is an extremely useful feature for the non-purist audiophile. It lends itself to a much faster and simpler system set up, eliminating need for long(er) - hard to disguise - routing of speaker wires to the back of your listening room area. However, this diminishes the full effectiveness of a surround sound system, yet in the case of the HS-GS1, I did not find it overly detracting from the system's "virtual" surround or front-only sound stage experience. Furthermore, I appreciate having a CHOICE in satellite speaker placement and opted to go this route for obvious advantages offered in eliminating the hassle of locating and mounting separate rear speakers and wiring complications.

The surround sound "effects" are still quite evident in this front only arrangement, because the unique stackable left and right double decker speakers can be rotated independently rotated to aim them in different dirrections. This design does an adequate job of simulating a four corner surround sound, if not fully "immersive" listening experience.

I may eventually take the additional time to separate and relocate the rear satellite speaker to the back of my listening area. Pioneer provides plenty of speaker wire for that purpose if so desired. But for now, I am enjoying the system in the front surround mode only, and saved at least another couple of hours of tedious installation work routing the rear speaker wires far away from the audio amplifier (subwoofer) origination connections.

One thing that the average consumer should know is that most comparable HTIB systems are "hyped" in terms of their true (<1% THD) audio output power rating per channel per the FTC. In actuality this Pioneer system has a total of 155 watts output power; 25W each for the four satelites, 30W for the somewhat larger size center speaker and only 25W for the subwoofer. Nevertheless, this is more than enough power for a small to medium size room and if you crank up the volume you can be prepared to damage your eardrums.

The audio amplifier built into the bottom of the subwoofer enclosure has four audio inputs, 3 digital (2 of which are for TOSLINK fiber optic cable ready inputs and 1 coaxial input), plus one tradional (wire pair) of analog audio inputs. Pioneer, generously, includes a fiber optic cable but no other audio input cables. For 5.1 channel sound decoders, such as built-in to Xbox 360, or sometimes passively outputed from a HDTV, this cable comes in handy. (Don't forget to remove the protective dust covers on both ends of this cable before attaching to your Xbox 360 (or other output device) to the digital audio input on the back of the single enclosure, 5.1 channel audio amplifier - AM/FM stereo receiver -subwoofer. The latter has a built-in power supply and AC line cord is included with the product.

All five, individual (supplied) speaker wires are color coded to make a do-it-yourself installation that much easier to get right the first time, although bare wire attachments are still need to be properly connect the back of each standalone speaker. Unlike other HTIB system, that are permanently pre-wired, Pioneer uses standard "quick-connect" speaker wire color coded connectors to further aid in ease of installation. The subwoofer has a short pre-wired "jumper" on the back panel to quick connect to the amplifier.

As I said the remote control for this system is especially well suited for Xbox 360, TV, and home theater integration. It supports all three! In addition to buttons for controlling the 5.1 channel audio sound, it also has another set of buttons to operate the Xbox 360 and optional HD-DVD player, Media Center PC, and also can be programmed to support most TVs.

The remote buttons dedicated to 360 control are segregated, and stylized to closely mimic the same buttons on Xbox 360 game controller as well as Microsoft's (sold separately) Universal Media Remote. On the down side, unfortunately the remote is not backlighted and none of the buttons glow in the dark when pressed. However, the Xbox Guide button is raised and larger than all the others, and the green, red, blue, yellow, color coded button that correspond to game controllers A-B-X-Y buttons, all in one row, are easy to use.

The remote control operates a nicely designed system controller with a digital readout display, with its own set of basic control buttons. Btw, a big disadvantage with the competing Spherex system is that it can ONLY be operated by remote control; undoubtedly a cost cutting tradeoff.

The bottom line, this Pioneer system is a very high quality product that WILL EXCEED the average electronic consumers expectations, and therefore is worth every penny of the purchase price.

i have owned about three surround sound systems but none of them compares to this HTS-GS1 from pioneer.i was a bit skeptical about buying it after the review in the OXM but i went ahead and bought it anyway.some people say its not too loud but this system comes fully customizable with adjustable volume levels for both the surround and front speakers.it has plenty of power to make ur neighbours mad.i have a 2500 square foot house and it rattles the whole house.so guys go ahead and get urself one this baby is packed with features.hopefully u find this review helpful in ur shopping.

When you're looking at a surround sound system in the price range of $200-350, you know that you're in the "bargain section". That shouldn't mean you can't get a bang-four-your-buck system though, and this ones proves that.

Pros:
- Included optical cable (almost unheard of these days)
- The nice remote
- The ability to calibrate the system via included mic
- The fact that you can run it as a true 5.1 -or- a virtual 5.1 (2.1) system
- The good sound (obvs)

Cons:
- The amplifier being built into the woofer. While few people will argue in favor of a gigantic, amplified head unit, having it in the woofer does limit where you can place that piece. Fortunately, it's not THAT big, so for people like me, it's a nonissue.

This may not be the BEST 5.1 (v. Samsung, Klipsch, etc) or the BEST compact unit (v. Philips, Yamaha, etc), but if you're look for an afforable, reasonable compact, versatile surround sound system, you can't go wrong with this one.

This Home theater is incredible. Picked it up for 230$ from circuit city! Sound is amazing... Not much else to say.. I was skeptical at first but thankfully my local CC had one on display hooked up to a 360. After playing for a few minutes I immediately knew it was coming home with me.

Okay, for those of you that are "Iffy" on buying this system and haven't decided yet this is the review for you. I am not an Audiophile as some people are when it comes to Sound. But I have had a couple of 5.1 surround setups in my time. So I do know what to expect when listening to a Surround Setup.

This Pioneer setup is by far one of the best I've had. I do have a small room so that might have something to do with it. But I cannot imagine this system not putting out enough power for the average joe like myself.

I actually enjoy playing my games so much more. And I have found myself watching movies more now too LOL Plus it has an extra Digital Port on the receiver. So I hooked up my Cable box (time warner) to it with an Optical Cable. Now Watching TV is a Blast too!

And as far as having control. You have the usual Treble/Bass controls. Then there are of course the usual EQ presets like Movie, Sports etc. But on top of that there are a couple of other cool features like the "Midnight" setting that adjusts all of the EQ settings so that if you are Playing/Watching something late night you will get all of the sound without having to turn up the volume and wake up everyone in the house.

Oh, and one last thing. One of the reasons I did end up getting this system was this. It does NOT come with a DVD player. I know that right now there is a battle between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. So the cool part is that what ever player I decide to get in the end will not effect the usability of the sytem. I'll just be able to plug it right in and I'm off to the races.

So friends, if you are looking to up the FUN Factor of your Xbox 360 and Movie/TV watching, then this is the system to get. PERIOD!

I am an engineer, so I like to put my electronic devices to the test. The Pioneer HTS-GS1 is a solid system for the price. If you own an Xbox 360 and you are on a budget, then this sound system is the right choice for you. I purchased this system and was able to install the whole system in less than an hour (I mounted everything to the walls using the included brackets). The sound quality is exactly what I expected it to be. I will admit that my ear is not as sensitive as some people's ears may be, but if you are that concerned with audio, then you will probably not be looking at a home theater in a box type of system. The sub does not go down all the way to the low end of human hearing, but it gets close enough. Some have claimed that it isn't powerful enough, but I will say that it is loud enough that if I wanted to anger the neighbors I could. There are several different settings and modes to play around with to get the sound just how you like it. There is also a microphone included to let the system automatically set up the different levels. This is a very nice feature. There was also ample speaker wire for the rear speakers. I was able to run the cords out of the way. There was approximately 30 feet of wire for the rear speakers (give or take a foot). I hooked the system up to my xbox 360. The sound was amazing. I played halo 3, and could hear people sneaking up from behind and could tell directionality of explosions. I then switched over to the media center functionality and watched an episode of the office which I had recorded. Everything works really smoothly as it should. The only reason that I am not giving this a 5 out of 5 is the remote. Don't get me wrong, it works. I programmed it to work with my TV without any problems at all, and it also operates the sound and the xbox flawlessly. It is just that the layout of the buttons on the remote itself are ridiculous. There is a cover on the bottom portion of the remote that covers several of the buttons used for adjusting the sound, and also the power button for the TV. If you want to use their remote for the TV, you have to slide back the cover on the remote. First the cover is flimsy and feels like it could break off if you aren't careful, and secondly the remote is almost 2 feet long with the cover slid back. That may not sound like a big deal, but when you have it in your hand it is extremely akward. I guess that you could break the cover off, but I hate to break something that I just bought. It doesn't seem right. There is at least a button to do every function that you want with you system. There are plenty of media center buttons, and buttons to control the TV. It is nice to have everything on one controller for a change, it just could have been laid out in a more organized/ergonomic fashion is all. Overall I would say that this system is a must for the xbox 360 owner who doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a sound system, but still demands quality, or for the apartment/dorm dweller who doesn't have enough room for a really large/loud system (though this system is plenty loud in my opinion, I have no desire to damage my hearing). I hope that your experience with this system is as good as mine has been.

I do pro sound for concert halls, and music production. So my ears are very picky. BUT THIS THING ROCKS!! for its price range, its unbelievable! It even pink noises itself. a feature only found on really high end models in the five digit price range. It lacks in the midlow to lows, so i wouldnt recomend it as a primary surround sound system to go with your 4 grand plasma. but if your looking for something cheap and simple to go with your xbox.......this is a gift from above. thanks pioneer.

For $200 this is certainly the best deal you can get to juice up your Xbox experience with 5.1 surround sound, watching movies and listening to your iPod. With two fiber digital, one RCA and one coax input, you can connect most input devices. The system is also very easy to setup.

I purchased this sound system close to a year ago, and I must say the quality of sound is very good for the price.
Over time I have noticed no decrease in sound quality. This system is very easy to setup, the wires and notches with the speakers are usually flimsy in home theater systems, with this product I was very pleased with the ease of installation. This is not the highest possible quality of sound, but very close, I personally cannot notice any sort of buzzing or vibrations that can be normally associated with cheap speakers. The subwoofer is rich and sturdy, not to mention easy to move. The speakers, even though small, are very durable and produce rich sound for there size. I use these (in addition to the 360) with my television and a/v equipment. As far as I can tell, it can support up to 4 components. I would reccomend this product to anyone looking for a good sound stystem, especially for there 360 as it comes with a sleek media remote compatibile with the system.

I think that this system is very good for a budget. Most of the other low cost systems I checked out were very poor quality. It is very convenient that the remote works with the Xbox 360 overall a very good buy, worth every penny.

Update!

It has been a little over a year since I purchased this item and I have to say it is still working really great, I have had absolutely no problems.

I have really grown to appreciate this system as I have it connected to both my cable box and Xbox 360. The only complaint I have is that there are only two optical connections.

I initially gave this item 3 stars but now I would change that to 4 stars because I am really pleased with the quality and reliability of this system. Especially for the price (I paid $99) it is full of features that you might only find on higher priced systems and the fact that nearly all of the components are fit inside the sub woofer makes it even more convenient for smaller spaces.

I highly recommend this!